Stars
by Vanilla Coated Love
Summary: Perhaps Ruka Nogi started to fall for Hotaru Imai the moment she ordered him to take his shirt off… if you know what I mean.


**Stars****  
by: Vanilla Coated Love**

_Perhaps __Ruka Nogi__ started to fall for__ Hotaru Imai__ the moment  
she __ordered __him__ to take __his __shirt off… if you know what I mean._

**Disclaimer**: Gakuen Alice does not belong to me.

**Setting: **Months after _**Her Jealousy**_ and _**His Jealousy**_. But it's fine if you haven't read those. It wouldn't ruin anything.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

**Ruka Nogi**

Most people, particularly the martyr-type ones, put the blames on themselves even though they shouldn't , simply because they're like that. They do not want trouble for it would only make matters more complicated. Face it, just blame yourself and it would be over, problem solved.

What does that have to do with the fact that I'm quote lost unquote in the Northern Forest with the Academy's Ice Queen?

Well I just recently concluded, after hours of observation and with much deliberation (and maybe a few hits from her baka gun), that I'm the martyr-type kind of guy (shocking) while Hotaru was not (go figure).

I gazed at the girl walking beside me. I made a quick mental note that I was already inches taller than her, five inches at the most. Her expression, I could not read. Her eyes were emotionless, as always, as she stared at the path ahead. Even in this setting, in this preculiar situation that we're in, she still carried herself with poise and conviction.

"Stop staring at me." Came her voice a second later.

"I wasn't-"

"Spare me, Nogi. Watch where you're going. If you trip or better yet, fall off a cliff, don't expect me to help you. I will leave you without second thoughts."

I gulped.

This girl was...harsh.

Hotaru wasn't finished, "I don't want you slowing me down. You better keep up." She looked over her shoulder, turning to face me. She halted, which gave me the signal that I too should stop. "Got that?"

"Uh... Roger?"

She smirked and started to walk once more. "Good boy. This is after all your fault."

See? Blaming others. That was so Hotaru Imai.

Before following her majesty like a shadow, I stared up at the orange tinged sky. It was already late in the afternoon. How long have we've been here?

There was also one thing that bothered me:

Where the hell were the others?

* * *

The week started out like any other Monday would. Or so I thought. Mr. Narumi entered the class in his normal manner, with all smiles. He checked the attendance and just about he was going to call his favorite pupil (who was obviously still not around) she burst through the oak doors, panting.

"Am I late?" The brunette asked to no one in particular.

And at that exact moment, the teacher said, "Mikan Sakura?"

To which she responded in a fruitful "Here!" and made her way towards her seat at the back that was two tables from my left.

"Good morning, Ruka." Mikan beamed as she passed. Her eyes gazed at the empty table beside mine and sighed. Her voice dropped, "Is _he_ planning on skipping class again?"

"Probably so." I said, looking at her at the corner of my eye.

"The nerve of that guy."

"You know Natsume."

"That perverted bastard." She hissed in a low tone. Mikan placed her bag down and took her seat. Mr. Narumi was almost done with the attendance. "I bet you my life he's either at the Sakura Tree taking a nap this early, or reading another manga."

Nothing changed much after Mikan and Natsume became a couple a few months back. Let me quote Anna and Nonoko on this one, "Finally! It was about time!"

The little crush I had for her back when we were still in elementary was long gone by then. Believe me, I've accepted the fact that Mikan wasn't the girl for me. Natsume needed her and she needed him. Though they can be pretty reckless sometimes.

I chuckled, "Chill with the manga, Mikan. Remember what happened last time?"

She rolled her eyes, remembering the memory of it but before she could respond, Mr. Narumi called the class's attention, "Settle down everyone. Go get a pen and-"

A hand shot through the air.

"Yes, Mochu?" The teacher asked.

"Isn't this the time where you're supposed say that you have an important meeting, as a petty excuse, just because you're too lazy to teach and give us an early dismissal?"

There was roar of laughter from the class. You have to hand it to Mochu.

Mr. Narumi cleared his throat and we all quieted down, "Normally, yes. But not today. I do have an announcement to make. Now, pens please."

"Dang. And I was so ready to leave." One of our classmates commented.

"Are you giving us a pop quiz? You haven't even taught us anything since the semester started!" Another one said.

The blonde teacher ignored them and gave the students at the front the papers, "Get one and pass."

Once each student got the mysterious white sheet, there were mixed reactions. Some got excited, while the others complained.

I waited until I got my copy, I was at the back so it had to take a while (others forgot to pass because they were to immensed in what was printed in the sheet of paper). When I did, it read:

**WHAT: CLASS B's CAMPING TRIP**

_That's it?_

I continued reading.

**WHEN: Second weekend of October**

_All right. Nothing wrong with that._

**WHERE: Northern Forest**

_Oh. So that's why._

* * *

******Author's Notes**: Decided to dwell into the lives of the best friends of our two main protagonists. Though I am not quite sure if I did them justice.

**And again, I ask you to pardon my grammatical errors.**

**-VCL 12:21 AM; October 2, 2012 (TMOA release date) Ha. Sorry, I had to. If you're a Percy Jackson fan, you'd understand.**


End file.
